January 25

Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen was born in 1778 in the Russian Empire and joined the Imperial Russian Navy as a young officer. In 1819–1821, he led a circumnavigation on the ships Vostok and Mirny, during which he was among the first to sight the Antarctic continent in 1820. Bellingshausen also produced detailed maps of the islands in the Southern Ocean. He later rose to the rank of admiral and commanded the Black Sea Fleet. His expeditions expanded scientific knowledge of polar regions and advanced naval cartography. Bellingshausen’s discoveries remain celebrated in the history of exploration.